sportsjabber.net

The Buffalo Bills held a 21-0 lead after the first quarter against the New England Patriots in Week 17. And then the Patriots ran off 49 unanswered points to win 49-21. Such is life in 2011 for the Bills.

Tom Brady, as ever, spear-headed the Patriots’ offensive assault. Brady threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns, passing Dan Marino for second place on the all-time list for passing yards in a single season, and New England poured it on in the second half, with 35 points to the Bills’ zero.

Rob Gronkowski had eight catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns in the game, while Aaron Hernandez, who also had a touchdown, led all receivers with 138 yards on seven catches.

As for Buffalo, an early spurt led by Ryan Fitzpatrick was simply not enough. Fitzpatrick threw for more than 200 yards in the first half, but finished with just 307 yards and four interceptions.

The Patriots secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC with the win, finishing at 13-3 on the year, and will have home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. The Bills finish 2011 at 6-10.

For more on the Patriots, head to Pats Pulpit. For more on the Bills, visit Buffalo Rumblings. For more on the NFL, head to SB Nation’s NFL hub and our Week 17 StoryStream.